Boys soccer: Redwood punches its ticket to MCAL playoffs

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Redwood's Alexander Nilsson, 8, makes a header during a boys soccer match against San Rafael High School at Redwood High School in Larkspur on Saturday. (James Cacciatore/Marin Independent Journal)

Redwood's goalie Harrison Hetrick lays to make a stop against San Rafael High School's shot on goal during boys soccer at Redwood High School in Larkspur on Saturday. (James Cacciatore/Marin Independent Journal)

Redwood's Nathaniel Kuffner, 6, moves the ball down the field against San Rafael High School defenders during boys soccer at Redwood High School in Larkspur on Saturday. (James Cacciatore/Marin Independent Journal)

Redwood's Luis Minestrelli, 3, works the ball around San Rafael High School defenders protecting their goal during boys soccer at Redwood High School in Larkspur on Saturday. (James Cacciatore/Marin Independent Journal)

San Rafael's goalie James Vasquez makes a stop against a Redwood shot on goal during boys soccer at Redwood High School in Larkspur on Saturday. (James Cacciatore/Marin Independent Journal)

Despite hitting a few roadblocks over the course of the season, the reigning MCAL champions are back to defend their title.

The Redwood High boys soccer team needed a result — a win or a tie — against San Rafael on Saturday to secure at least the fourth and final MCAL playoff spot. Thanks in part to an own goal by the Bulldogs following a dangerous free kick taken by Redwood’s Cole Hardister, the Giants picked up a 1-0 win and secured their spot in the postseason.

“Obviously it’s a relief but we expected (to make playoffs) coming in (to the season),” Hardister said. “We were in first for a while and had a chance to take it a couple wins ahead, then we ended up losing two in a row so we hit a little bit of a roadblock.

“Our coach and our seniors and our team in general has bounced back very well and we look great going into playoffs. I feel really confident.”

The Giants (9-4-4, 8-3-4 MCAL) remain in fourth place with 28 points but are still in with a mathematical chance of claiming a share of the regular-season title. Novato and Drake are tied atop the league on 30 points with Terra Linda right behind them on 29 points.

Novato and TL close the season with a big head-to-head matchup on Tuesday. Redwood closes the season with a game against MC and a win there would lift the Giants into at least third place.

“It’s really important for a lot of reasons because we’ve stumbled a little bit along the way,” Redwood coach David Siracusa said of the win. “Today, before the game, we could have finished out of the playoff picture or in first place so it was a really big game and good for our confidence.”

The result eliminates both Tam and San Rafael from the MCAL playoff picture, meaning the four teams are set, although the order could still drastically change.

Redwood’s decisive moment came in the 52nd minute on Saturday, when the Giants earned a free kick on the left sideline near the 18-yard box. Hardister bounced a low, hard shot on frame that took a deflection off a San Rafael defender and found its way into the net.

“On those ones on the side, usually I’m just trying to put the ball into a dangerous area — putting the ball on frame or putting it across the goal,” Hardister said. “I just whipped one in there with pace. I always put pace on it just because of what happened. If someone deflects it, it’s hard to judge and can often times end up in the goal… That’s sometimes how the game works. We’ll take it.”

Both teams have struggled with putting the ball in the back of the net this season. Saturday Redwood had the goal it needed and San Rafael pushed extremely hard for an equalizer in the final minutes of the game.

“They have a very dangerous midfield,” Redwood’s Nathaniel Kuffner said. “They are all very technical on the ball. The last 15 minutes we were getting tired everywhere but especially in the midfield. They started to open us up a little bit, switch the point (of attack) and find some balls in behind (us).”

The Bulldogs (8-9-1, 6-8-1) generated two major chances in the final 10 minutes, the first coming when the referee called Redwood for a handball on the edge of the penalty box. Chris Barrios took the set piece but his shot was blocked by Redwood’s wall and eventually cleared.

Five minutes later, San Rafael threatened again off a corner kick taken by Pablo Bartone-Garcia. The ball again found Barrios in a dangerous area, but his header hit the crossbar.

“I’m glad (the Bulldogs) didn’t play like that for the full 80 (minutes),” Siracusa said. “The last 10 minutes, it was hard to stop them. As far as our response, we matched them. I didn’t feel they were that dangerous until the last 10 minutes, then they were all over it.”

Barrios’ header was the last genuine threat San Rafael created and Redwood was able to see the game out.

“San Rafael is a great team, definitely,” Hardister said. “I think they’re one of the better teams we’ve played all season. They move the ball well, their midfielders are fantastic. I’ve played with them in club and throughout high school. I know them very well. They are very good players. I think that’s a great team we just played.

“It’s a good win for us and we have a lot of momentum going into playoffs, so I’m excited.”

San Rafael can still qualify for the North Coast Section playoffs with a win in its last game.

“We have to win on Tuesday versus San Marin to put us over .500 in our division,” San Rafael coach Johnny Vara said.

Around the county

Otis Lyons and Miles Crock scored goals to lift Drake to a 2-1 victory against Tam (6-6-4, 6-6-4). Adam Martinez and Lucas Vance had assists for the Pirates (11-3-5, 9-3-3), who caught idle Novato for first place on 30 points. Drake closes the season against Branson on Tuesday.

Abe Garcia Sessa scored two more goals to help guide Terra Linda to a 4-2 win against Marin Catholic (0-16-2, 0-13-2). Ruthwick Challagonda and Tyler Bell also scored for the Trojans (9-2-5, 8-2-5), who could still claim the league title on Tuesday with a win against Novato paired with a Drake loss or tie against Branson.

James Daly, Alec Sievers and Juancho Thieriot all found the back of the net as Branson (4-11-8, 3-7-5) picked up a 3-1 victory against San Marin (4-13-3, 4-8-3).